An Investigation of Food Crop Farming Skills and Knowledge Held by Smallholder Crop Farmers for Sustainable Farming in Teso South Sub-County, Busia County, Kenya

Abstract

This research study investigated the food crop farming skills and knowledge held by smallholder crop farmers in Teso South Sub-County to promote sustainable farming practices. The study objectives were; to investigate the food crop farming skills and knowledge held by smallholder farmers for sustainable farming in Teso South Sub- County, Busia County – Kenya, to examine the relationship between gender and skills of smallholders’ food crop farmers in Teso South Sub- County, Busia County – Kenya and to determine association between previous trainings and food crop knowledge and skills held by the smallholder crop farmers in Teso South Sub- County, Busia County – Kenya. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The study revealed that smallholders’ farmers had received trainings that lasted between one hour and three days, some of which had been taken 10 years ago. A Chi-square test for independence (with Yates Continuity Correction) indicated no significant association between gender and previous training status of the smallholders’ farmers, χ2 (4, n = 124) = 4.37, p = .359, phi = .18. Also, a Chi-square test for independence (with Yates Continuity Correction) indicated no significant association between food crop farming skill and knowledge held by smallholders’ farmers and previous training status of the smallholders’ farmers, χ2 (4, n = 124) = 2.03, p = .731, phi = .12. The study recommended that gender should never be used to design training programmes since the proficiency levels of skill and knowledge of both male and female farmers are relatively the same.